How it began and how it ended

Another amazingly beautiful day.  It started early this morning with a shroud of mist that enveloped everything.  This shot is toward the west from the balcony of the gite.  But by 10 this morning it had totally burned off and we set off into town.
The second shot is of Villeneuve-les-Avignon.  While Avignon was the Papal seat for almost a hundred years in the 14th century, Villeneuve-les-Avignon was the seat of the cardinals. We drive past this lovely sight every morning as it is just across the Rhone from l'Ile de la Barthelasse where our gite is siutated.
Today we spend about three hours walking around Avignon.  The third, fourth and fifth shots above are taken on the Rue des Tinturiers where we stopped for a coffee and a chat with a local bookstore owner.  In the 14th century and even longer, water from the river Sorgue turned twenty-three wheels (of which only four now remain) that were used in the dyeing of fabric in the wool and silk textile industry here in Avignon. The third picture above shows one of the waterways and the fifth picture is of one of the remaining wheels.  The pigeon sitting on the wheel in the fifth picture?  Well, I just couldn't resist.....
The final two shots are of the Palais des Papes, the largest gothic building in Europe. To the left in the sixth picture is the cathedral Notre-Dames-des-Doms with its gold-covered statue of the Virgin on top.  To the right, and in the last picture also, is the Palais itself.
So the day began with mists and ended with glorious sunshine.  And finally, I got my sunshine pictures of the Palais des Papes.
Not a bad day, I would say!!